Help with repairing kitchen cabinets


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Old 06-04-13, 09:35 AM
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Help with repairing kitchen cabinets

We recently bought a house and are trying to upgrade the kitchen. Next summer, budget allowing, we hope to redo the floor, countertops, and backsplash. Right now we are focused on the cabinets. I've been considering staining them but am a little intimidated by how much work it'll be.

The real issues are 1) There is a large crack along the frame of one of the cabinets -- fairly high up so its not that noticeable, but of course I stare at it every time I enter the kitchen. And, 2) The hardware is terrible.

The problem with swapping out the hardware is I would like to go vertical with it, but then we will have at least one visible hole to repair. Is there any way we can hide that hole without restaining the entire cabinet? Similarly, while the cabinet crack has been repaired, it is a different shade from the rest of the wood -- can that be fixed? Or do we really have to restain all the cabinets at this point?

If we DONT restain, can we 'freshen up' the cabinets with a good scrubbing with something? (Even though there's a veneer of some sort on them?)

Can I assume the wood will take stain well when stripped & sanded? (In other words, is this a DIY project we can take on confident we won't be making the cabinets worse with our efforts?) Also, just curious, does anyone know what type of wood this is?
 
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Old 06-04-13, 03:12 PM
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Welcome to the forums!

To restain cabinets they need to be completely stripped. Stain only works with raw wood! It is feasible to freshen them up with a new coat of poly. A tinted poly can be used if you want to alter the color a little. Because of the tint included in the tinted poly [like MInwax's PolyShades] it can be a little tricky to apply.

Colored putty can be used to fill screw holes and minor cracks. You'll find it for sale near the stain and poly.

The wood might be birch, it was fairly popular back then.
 
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Old 06-04-13, 03:16 PM
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Thanks Mark! Does that mean if we used colored putty on the old hardware holes and then tinted poly on the full cabinets we can switch out the hardware without the hole showing? No stripping is necessary with tinted poly?
 
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Old 06-04-13, 03:42 PM
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If the colored putty closely matches the existing finish - it shouldn't show or at least not be readily apparent.

Tinted poly doesn't need to have the existing finish removed but it is always a good idea to do a light sanding as it promotes better adhesion. Tinted poly works best when it's just a shade or two darker than the existing finish. Care must be used to apply it evenly!! Runs, drips, lap marks, etc will be darker than the rest. Missed or thin spots will be lighter. It isn't a coating that can be touched up. Once you are finished with the tinted poly it's a good idea to apply a coat of clear poly to protect the tint from wear.
 
 

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